Lives of Consequence
Cheryl Asarkof Jacobs '91
Rabbi and Founder of the Jewish Healing Center
"Growing up in Boston, the rabbinate was never a thought in my mind," says Cheryl Asarkof Jacobs '91, the first rabbi in William Smith history. "I come from a family of dentists and I really thought that was where my journey would take me."
As a high school senior, Jacobs planned to attend college in the greater Boston area, though she also applied to HWS "because my close friend, Robert Lawlor '88 attended, and I knew how much he loved it."
But when Jacobs's father passed away suddenly that year, "my mother made a truly selfless decision and urged me to go to school out of the Boston area," Jacobs says. "She told me that if I didn't go away, I would never leave home. I know now what an incredibly painful and courageous act that was for her, but I followed her advice and headed for the snowy hills of Geneva!"
When she arrived at HWS, Jacobs enrolled in as many science courses as she could, but "found that I was not fit to be a scientist or medical professional," she says. But thanks to the interdisciplinary nature of the HWS curriculum, she found herself in religion courses taught by Professors of Religious Studies Richard "Doc" Heaton and Michael Dobkowski. She went on to earn a B.A. in religious studies with a minor in sociology, and planning to teach religious studies at the university level, Jacobs was admitted to the Divinity School at Yale University, where she was the only Jewish person enrolled.
"It made for a unique dynamic," she says. "I found myself having to explain and teach Judaism -- and I think that enlightened me to the fact that maybe I didn't know as much about my religion as I thought I did."
After she earned a Master of Arts in Religion from Yale, Jacobs enrolled at Jewish Theological Seminary in New York City at the suggestion of her master's advisor, renowned New Testament scholar Brevard Childs. At the JTS, Childs told her, Jacobs could study toward a Ph.D. and also be ordained as a Conservative Rabbi.
"I scoffed at the rabbi suggestion," Jacobs says, "but I moved to New York City and began my studies at JTS."
The move to New York is what changed things for Jacobs: "The school is on the edge of Harlem in an area called Morningside Heights. Although it is a safe area, right next to Columbia, I had never seen people sleeping on the streets -- or such poverty in my sheltered life in Boston, Geneva, or New Haven."
It was then Jacobs that decided she wanted to become a rabbi, "to help those with no voice."
"It didn't matter if they were Jewish or not -- what mattered is that they were human beings who needed someone on their side," she says. "My seven years in New York City were dedicated to helping those who were homeless, helpless, sick and in need of support."
While she was a student at the JTS, Jacobs also served as student chaplain for an HIV/AIDS organization, where "on any given night, we'd have 250 people from the street, right out of jail, in all stages of illness. The very first time a homeless man gave me a huge hug and said to me, 'You are the first religious person that hasn't judged us for what we have -- but for what we are inside.' I was hooked."
But her favorite "job," Jacobs says, "was and is as a volunteer for the Broward Sheriff's Office where I go in and meet with the Jewish inmates in all of our area jails."
Twelve years ago, Jacobs and her family moved to Florida, for her husband Andrew's pulpit (he is also a rabbi). In Florida, Jacobs worked seven years for a synagogue and established the Jewish Healing Center, an organization dedicated to providing chaplaincy/rabbinic services to those who did not belong to a congregation in the area.
"For years we have struggled with the issue of 'membership' in our community -- and I think that it's time to redefine what it means to be a 'member,'" Jacobs says. "Judaism is not a country club. Over the years, you learn that no matter what you are professionally, you have to learn to follow your heart. My heart is dedicated to making sure that anyone who wants access and a connection to Judaism and community is able to have it."
As a student, Jacobs was a member of the swimming team and worked at Saga. She was a Founder's Day speaker in 2003.